Korea Fines Qualcomm Nearly $1B

Regulator charges unfair patent licensing

Rick Merritt 12/28/2016 02:15 PM EST

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) fined Qualcomm 1.03 trillion won (nearly US$1 billion), charging unfair patent licensing practices. Qualcomm said it will appeal what it called “an unprecedented and insupportable decision relating to licensing practices that have been in existence in Korea and worldwide for decades.”

The fine is the largest ever levied by the South Korean agency, the KTFC said in an English-language summary of the decision it provided to EE Times. It charged Qualcomm unfairly used its patents against both customers and competitors.